Letting go is hard

As far back as 1991, the Ministry of Education in London measured the distance from home to school when deciding which young people qualified for free bus passes. You walked if the Minister of Education said your school was too close to home or your parents got you a bus pass.

On public record is the fact that means testing for free university education was based strictly on earnings of parents. Students with exceptionally high marks got special scholarships. Between mandatory bank statements, the Social Work Department double checked which families genuinely needing assistance. Parents signed on the dotted line regarding the veracity of statement of earnings.

In order to off set “freeness” to local students, British universities charge foreign students and their governments higher tuition fees.

The means testing of families is as inescapable as breathing.

This is the 21st century. We live in a world where nothing is for free.

The present Minister of Education is merely doing what is done all over the world. He is not deliberately distressing anybody.

University aged students are old enough to know that there is no Santa Claus.

Let us all try to get real.

Lynette Joseph Diego Martin